Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2006-189986 (FIGS. 1-3, pp. 2-4) is an example of the conventional art, that includes a sorting mechanism in which a vertically long path having the same width with a slot is provided behind a common slot in the form of vertically-long slot into which both of an IC coin and a coin can be slotted, a path for the coin which is a relatively high gradient downward slant having a width that is able to receive only a coin in its center part of the width direction is provided in a bottom face of the vertically long path. A slit-like coin receiving opening is provided having such width that exclusively allows passage of coin in an end of the path for coin. A shoulder of a downward slant face having lower gradient is formed in both end sides of the path for coin. An IC coin receiving part is provided previous to and forward of the slit-like coin receiving opening.
Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2005-25404 (FIGS. 2-4, pp. 2-4) is an example of a second conventional art in which there a coin sorting machine has a smart card charging facility. A coin slot is provided in an upper part of a substantially upright base plate, and a coin return slot is disposed below the coin slot, wherein an upward slant surface is formed in correspondence with an upper part of the base plate. A coin slot is disposed in the upward slant face, and a communication antenna is disposed in a lower part of the upward slant face in the vicinity of the coin slot. An antenna display is provided in the upward slat face.
With Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2006-189986 (FIGS. 1-3, pp. 2-4) it is advantageous that a coin and an IC coin can be slotted into the same slot, and hence a customer will not make a mistake in slotting. Although a coin is caused to drop into the coin path by the shoulder which is a downward slant face having low gradient, since the coin has force of inertia due to rolling, it may roll on the shoulder rather than dropping to the path for coin, which may result in failure in sorting of coins. Further, a coin is identified after sorted during rolling in the path of IC coin. Therefore, it is necessary to dispose an IC coin reading or writing device downstream of the path in which the coin rolls, leading the problem that the size of the apparatus increases. More specifically, from the view point of securing compatibility with a coin sorting device which is currently used in a game machine or the like, it is desirable to keep the size of the conventional coin sorting device.
With Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2005-25404 (FIGS. 2-4, pp. 2-4), since an antenna for the IC card is disposed around the coin slot, it is necessary to put the IC card closer to the antenna at every charging. In other words, in sequentially playing the same game, it is necessary to hold IC card over the antenna at every starts of game, and this is cumbersome to the customer. Further, with Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2005-25404 (FIGS. 2-4, pp. 2-4), when an IC coin is used, it is necessary to provide an antenna for communication in the coin path, leading the problem of increased size of the apparatus and of increased costs.